Capping device.



F. C. LAURIE.

CAPPING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. I4, 1911. I 1,%5,%, Patented Nov. 6, 1917.

INVENTOR 14 J U/ o a a G 0 9 I u a & JH Q 999 H.. E

WITNESSES ATTORIfEY r. c. LAURIE. CAPPiNG DEVICE.

APPLICATION HLEDQAUG. l 4,-l9lllNVE NTOR I fimami WITNESSES ATTORNEY UNITED STATES- PATENT mmrrmnx c.- LAURIE, or nonsron', rnxAs.

I cArrInG nirvrcn.

IlXBaZZ whom may concern: e it known that I, FRANK C. LAURIE, a

British subject, residing at Houston, in the 4 county of Harris, and State'of Texas, have fnvented'certain new and useful Improvements in Capping Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to capping devices,

\ and itlrelates more particularly to oil Well It is well been drilled, the oil frequently flows there-" cappers. known that when oil wells have from in a very large volume andwith greatforce', so that it is extremely diflicult to attach the desired pipe connections so as to control the flow of oil from these wells. Therefore 4 One of the objects of this invention is to providea capping device that may be apand force. 7

plied withcomparative ease and facility to an oil'well or gusher of the greatest volume Another objectof the invention is to provide a device of this character which is thoroughly efiicient, exceedingly strong and durable, and which may be manufactured at I a comparatively small cost.

Other objects and advantages may become apparent to persons who read the following description in connection with the accompanyin drawings in which Figure 1 is. a

front e evational view of my improved oil well capper in its operative position. v

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the construction illustrated in Fig. 1, and of certain additional elements.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view, the

sectionbeing taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

' Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view, the section being taken on line 4r4 of Fig. 1.

Referring to these drawings in detail, in

surface on which is supported a platform orfoundation' of boards or'timbers- 11 having an aperture-12. An upwardly tapering nozzle or connection 13 is secured to the casing 10 by means of a collar or coupling 14, the member 13 being provided with an enlargement or shoulder 15. I A sleeve or packing element 16 is fitted around the upper end of the element 13, and this sleeve is preferably formed of lead, although I mayemploy-such Patented Nov. 6,

' Application filed August 14,1911. Serial No.1'8 6,168. Y

other material as maybe found suitable and convenient. 4

flange 18 which connects with a corresponding flange 19 on aT coupling 20, b'olts'21 A bell-shaped cap 17 is provided with a being. employed for securing the flanges 18' and 19 together. Guiding arms22 extend laterally from the flanges 18 and 19 andare provided with apertures through which a pair of draw rods 23 extend. Each of these rods 23 is bifurcated at its lower end and screw-threaded at its upper end. The bifurcated end of each rod 23 is provided with apertures in which a bolt or pivot24 extends, and each of these members 24 also\excounterpart plates or members which are formed with semi-cylindrical elements 29, 30, and 31 so that when these plates are fitted together, or oppositely disposed as in Fig. 4, the semi-cylindrical members combine to form hollow cylinders through which extend the elements 13,25, and 28 respectively. The clamp'26 is provided with suit able recesses in which the shoulder 15 is seated. The clamp 36 is also. provided with a plurality of apertures through which bolts 32 extend, these bolts being provided with nuts 33 which cooperate therewith for drawing the semi-cylindrical portions 29,

30, and 31 into clampingengagement-with the elements 13, 25,and 28 respectively.

The clanLp 27 is provided with semi-cy .lindrical portions 27 a and 27 and with aper-.

tures'through which bolts 35 extend, nuts 35 cooperating with these bolts fol-"drawing the clamping elements together upon the casing 10 and rods 28.

Nuts 28 are provided upon the opposite ends of each rod 28, and by means of these nuts, the clamps 26and 27 may be drawn to- 10 and securely held in such, engage 37, and as, ma be of ward one another, so that the nozzle 13 may I y be drawn tightly into engagement with the coF ection520v 3 7 2' and ii -wnneecl tion with the nozzle 13, ll provide a clamp 39, having semi-cylindrical elements 40 and 41, this clamp 39 being provided with bolts 39% which cooperate with nuts 39, for drawing the clamping elements together-upon the connection or pipe section 38. A clamp 43, of a construction somewhat similar to the clamp 39 and provided with similar bolts and nuts, embraces the pipe connection 36 and is provided with guide elements 44 through which the rods 23 extend. I

Upon the T coupling is :mounted a valve 45, of any appropriate construction, 'and' this valve may be directly connected.

with the T coupling 20, or it may be connected through the medium of a pipe section 46. o p p p w The pipe connection 37 preferably constitutes a valve, for a purpose which will be explained hereinafter.

The operation of this device is as fol-h lows: r

Prior to capping the nozzle 13, the clamps 26, 27, and 39 as well as the guides 22 and 43, are secure in position on the respective elements with which they are normally engaged; but the pivots or bolts 24 are removed, and the elements 16- and 17 are disconnected from one another. Moreover, the nuts 23 are disposed at the ends of the respective rods 23, while the bifurcated ends of these rods'extenda considerable distance beyond the end of the bell-shaped connection 17. N ow, it being desired to cap the nozzle 13, having the packing element 16 thereon; the pipe connections 17, 20, 36, 37, and 38, to gether with the clamps and guides 39, 43,

and 22, and the rods 33, are moved bodily in a horizontal direction and in the longitudinal direction of the rods 23 until the bifurcated ends thereof have their apertures alined with the apertures of the eye-bolts 25. The bolts or pivots-24 are then placed section of the capping device, the valve 37 is opened while the valve 45 is closed, so

that the oil continues to gush upwardly with comparatlvely little resistance.

The nuts 23 are now screwed downward, thereby cooperating with the clamps 26 and 39, and

with their adjuncts for forcing the bell 17 down upon the packing 16, so as to make a fluid-tight. connection with the nozzle 13. At thls stage of the operation, the oil continues to gush upward through the valve 37 and is prevented from fiowing through the r ised valve145, thereby allowing opportunity to connect this latter valve with the pipe line '47 without interference of the flowing oil. N ow, the valve 45 may .be opened, and the valve 37 closed, whereupon the flow of oil -is completely under control, and further waste thereof is entirely prevented.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that l have provided a device of this character which is thoroughly practical-and eficient,

and which is extremelynseful and valuable for the purpose specified.

' Although 1 have described this form of my invention in minute detail, it is to be understood that my invention is not limited to these exact details of construction and arrangements of parts, but I am entitled to make such alterations that do not constitute a departure from the inventive idea disclosed in this specification and claims.

What ll claim as my invention is:

1. A well capping dev ce comprising in connection with. a we ll casing, a pipe connection adapted to be connected to the well casing, a pair of elements movably connected to the said pipe connection, a pair of elements secured to said well Teasing, means pivotally connecting the first said pair of elements with the second said pair of elements, and means for moving the first said pair of elements with relation to the said connection, whereby the said pipe connection maybe first swunginto co m: unic'alive relation With the well casing and there into'fillid-tight eonafter moved downward nection therewith.

ice

2. A well capping device comprising in connection with a well casing, anozzleon the well casing, 'a bell-shaped connection adapted t'o'fit over said well casing, a pipe connection, means through which the pipe connection communicates with Said bellshaped connection, a clamp secured on said pipe connection, a'pair of draw rods, means cooperative with said clamp formoving said draw rods longitudinally with respect to the pipe connection and the bell-shaped connection, and means whereby said draw rods are pivotally connected to said well casing, so that the said bell-shaped connection may be first moved into the position for receiving the liquid gushing from said nozzle and may be thereafter moved by the second said means into fluid-tight nozzle.

. 3. A. well capping device comprising in. connection with a well casing, a tapering connection with said nozzle fitting on the .well casing, a bellshaped connection, adapte to receive the tapered portion of said noz le, a set of pipe connections comprising a' Ti-shaped connec tion and two valves, one branch of said T11 shaped connection being secured to the said bell-shaped connection, one of said valves being connected to a laterally extending branch of said T-shaped connection, and means for moving said set of pipe connections and bellshaped connections bodily into fluid-tight connection with the said nozzle, whereby the liquid which flows from said casing may be allowed to pass through one of said valves while being prevented from passing through the other of said valves, so that the latter of said valves may be easily connected with a pipe line into which the liquid may be directed through the contiguous valve, by first opening said contiguous valve and thereafter closing the other of said valves.

4. The combination of a Well casing, a capping device comprising a set of centrally alined pipe connections and a set of pipe connections extending laterally from the first said set of pipe connections, each said set of pipe connections comprising a valve, a plurality of supporting members extending laterally from the first said set of pipe connections, a plurality of draw-rods engaged with said supports and each having an apertured end portion and a screw-threaded end portion, a plurality of apertured members pivotally connected respectively to the apertured ends of said draw-rod, and means whereby said apertured members are secured to said well casing, substantially as shown and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I hereby afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK C. LAURIE. Witnesses:

B. G. MCHENRI, D. A. WILLSON. 

